1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to game apparatuses accommodating grab articles within a holding section and configured for play at catching the grab articles by manipulating fetching means equipped with grasping hands.
2. Description of Related Art
To date, apparatuses such as shown in FIG. 20 have been known as an example of the above-noted game apparatuses. As shown in the same drawing, the game apparatus 200 is composed of a casing-like body 201, a plurality of grab articles 203 that are accommodated in a holding section 202 furnished in the body 201, and fetching means 204 disposed above the grab articles 203 and within the holding section 202.
Each fetching means 204 is composed of a grasping hand 205 installed to be open/closable and configured for clasping a grab article 203 when closed; a support rod 206 that supports the grasping hand 205; a (not-illustrated) drive means for shifting the support rod 206 and grasping hand 205 omnidirectionally in up-and-down, left-and-right and back-and-forth directions; means for controlling the operation of the (not-illustrated) drive means and the grasping hand 205; and actuation buttons 207 that input signals to the (not-illustrated) controlling means and actuate operations of the (not-illustrated) drive means and grasping hand 205.
Further, a pitch-in port 208 is provided within the holding section 202, and meanwhile a take-out port 209 is provided in the apparatus body 201 opening on an outside face thereof. The pitch-in port 208 and take-out port 209 are communicated with each other.
Further, the grab articles 203 are made up of spherical transparent capsules and character goods, for example, housed in the capsules. Here, in some cases character goods as the grab articles 203 are stowed as they are, unpackaged.
The game apparatus 200 becomes operable by means of the actuation buttons 207 when a player inserts coins for a prescribed charge; the(not-illustrated) controlling means receives signals from the actuation buttons 207 and controls operations of the (not-illustrated) drive means and grasping hand 205 to have the grasping hand 205 execute predetermined specific motions it is to execute. Specifically, when for example the actuation button 207 for shifting the grasping hand 205 in the left-and-right direction is pressed, the grasping hand 205 in the same direction is caused to reciprocate back and forth from a home position; and when the push button is released, the grasping hand 205 is halted. Next, when the actuation button 207 for causing the grasping hand 205 to shift in the back-and-forth direction is pressed, the grasping hand 205 in the same direction is caused to reciprocate from the halt position; and when the push button is released the grasping hand 205 is halted and subsequently made to execute an ensuing series of auto-drive operations (grasping motions).That is, after the grasping hand 205 is caused to drop it is actuated to close; in due course it is elevated and along the way is caused to reciprocate in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions; and after it is shifted to above the pitch-in port 208, the grasping hand 205 is actuated to open and in due course is returned to its home position. Here, the operations through the actuation buttons 207, by which the grasping hand 205 is caused to reciprocate in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions, are each limited to a single time.
Thus, in terms of the game apparatus 200, by a player operating one time only the respective operation buttons 207 that shift the grasping hand 205 in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions, after the grasping hand 205 is shifted to a position where it is judged that a capsule housing a desired character item can be grasped it is halted, and thereafter the grasping hand 205 executes the above-noted series of grasping operations in auto-drive. If the capsule is grasped by the grasping hand 205, it is pitched into the pitch-in port 208. Then the capsule that has been pitched into the pitch-in port 208 is transferred to the take-out port 209 communicates with the pitch-in port 208, and the player may acquire the character item by taking out the capsule from the take-out port 209.
In this way, by means of the game apparatus 200, since a player is able mechanically to acquire desired character items by operating the fetching means 204 consisting of machinery, the player may satisfy curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations and enjoy an amusement brimming with appeal. Further, the fact that the operations for acquiring a character item are limited to a single time puts thrill into the game for the player to enjoy, and moreover lets recreational and material cravings to be able to get a character item be satisfied.
From another aspect, however, since the player him or herself is outside and merely operates the game apparatus 200, a realistic feel is lacking in that an element that lets the player him or herself sense things bodily is absent. The present inventor arrived at the present invention as a result of concerted efforts to develop a game apparatus that in addition to the actions and effects that the foregoing game apparatus 200 providesxe2x80x94which are: 1) enabling satisfaction of curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations, 2) enabling enjoyment of an amusement brimming with appeal, 3) enabling enjoyment of a thrilling game, and 4) enabling recreational and material cravings to be satisfiedxe2x80x94lets players themselves bodily sense a feeling of reality, still further enables satisfying curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations, and still further enables enjoying an amusement brimming with appeal.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a game apparatus that enables players themselves to bodily sense a feeling of reality and lively motion, that enables satisfying curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations still more, and that enables enjoying still more an amusement brimming with appeal.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention includes an holding section that holds and accommodates a plurality of objects in a fixed area, and a boarding portion on which a player boards, and is further provided with a ride apparatus in which the corresponding boarding portion is installed so as to move and rotate, and a fetching means that is attached to the corresponding ride apparatus and picks up one of the above-described objects from the above-described holding section by an operation made by the above-described player.
According to the invention, a player is able to enjoy himself as described below: That is, first, the player boards the boarding portion of a ride apparatus. Next, the ride apparatus moves or turns to an appropriate position automatically or by an operation made by the player. And, the player performs a game of picking up an object accommodated in an holding section by operating the fetching means attached to the ride apparatus. In such a game, the player is able to satisfy himself in regard to curiosity pertaining to mechanical operations, and enjoy himself in a game which is filled with interests. In addition, since the player can board the ride apparatus and move or turn thereon, the player can physically feel a sense of reality and enjoy the motions, and can satisfy himself in regard to the curiosity pertaining to the above-described mechanical operations. At the same time, he is able to enjoy a game that is filled with interests. If the above-described objects are decided to be premiums such as character goods in which players are keenly interested, the interest and material desire of the players for acquiring such character goods can be further satisfied.
The above-described ride apparatus may be composed of an operation portion that is used to move and rotate the above-described boarding portion, wherein the above-described boarding portion can be moved and turned by an operation of the player. Also, the above-described fetching means may be provided with a fetching portion for acquiring an object by picking it up, or may be provided with a hooking portion for acquiring an object by hooking it. Detailed examples of such a fetching portion may include a mechanism for directly grasping an object like a hand mechanism used for a robot, a mechanism for holding an object in a bucket such as a shovel mechanism that is used for a hydraulic power shovel or a bulldozer such as a civil engineering machine, a mechanism for adsorbing an object by an adsorbing means, or a mechanism for fetching an object by a dish-like or bucket-like container. Detailed examples of the hooking portion may include a hook mechanism, in which a hook-like curved member is movably provided, composed so as to pick up an object from the holding section by hooking it by means of the hook-like curved member, and a mechanism, in which a merely bar-like member is movably provided, composed so as to pick up an object from the holding section by hooking it by means of the bar-like member.
Also, the above-described ride apparatus may include various types of apparatuses, such as a vehicle moving by means of wheels, a ride apparatus, similar to a civil engineering machine, which can move by means of a caterpillar, a boat or an apparatus, composed so as to move by means of a swivel arm by which a seat on which a player sits is moved, which is similar to an apparatus installed in an amusement park. Further, the ride apparatus may be constructed so as to move along an appointed rail. Also, the ride apparatus moving along a rail may include a train, a ride apparatus similar to a monorail car, a boat moving along an appointed waterway, or other similar ride apparatuses.
In addition, if vibrating means are attached to the above-described fetching means, the degree of difficulty with respect to an action of picking up an object is increased by the fetching means, or the object that has been picked up may drop from the fetching means by vibration, wherein the degree of difficulty of the entire operation of the game is increased, and such a game will become more interesting to a player. Further, such vibrating means may employ a structure in which projections and recesses are provided in a runway of a ride apparatus, a structure in which the above-described fetching means is supported by resilient means, or a structure in which the fetching means itself is constructed so as to be likely to vibrate.
Further, the object that is picked up by the above-described fetching means may be discharged outside the playing area by providing a discharging means, or if the ride apparatus is provided with a collecting means, the object can be taken in the ride apparatus. If the discharging means is constructed so as to operate at random or in a fixed cycle, it becomes difficult to discharge the picked-up object outside the playing area, wherein the degree of difficulty of the game will be further increased so that the game becomes still more interesting. In addition, any type may be acceptable, if the above-described collecting means can receive the object picked up by the fetching means, by which the object can be taken in the ride apparatus. One of the examples is a mechanism that is provided with a collection port, which communicates with the inside of a ride apparatus, outside the ride apparatus, a mechanism that is composed so that an opening and closing door is provided in the ride apparatus and the above-described collecting port is formed by opening the door, or a mechanism that is composed so that a so-called fetching net secured so as to reciprocate between the inside and outside of the ride apparatus, and a structure similar thereto is disposed, and the picked-up object is collected by the fetching net. In addition, if the collecting port, opening and closing door, or fetching net is installed so as to move forward and backward, left or right at random or in a fixed cycle, it becomes more difficult for the above-described object to be collected in the ride apparatus, wherein the degree of difficulty is increased to cause the corresponding game to be made still more interesting.